This invention relates to labels, and particularly for labels on bottles and other surfaces in a medical or health setting. The labels of the invention may comprise a base liner which is adhered to the surface, the base liner further having on an upper surface thereof at least a booklet which can be easily removed from the surface when needed. The upper surface of the liner may further include printed materials, hangers, peel-off labels or the like, all of which are located below the booklet.
A number of labels having booklets thereon are known in the art. Many of such labels are designed so that the booklet mounted thereon can be opened and resealed against the label. This permits multiple viewings of the contents of the booklet by opening and resealing a cover or other means holding the booklet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,363 (Gartner) discloses a multi-layer hinged label as two layers which may be repeatedly partially separated and re-adhered to one another. As further background showing the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,721 (Pedroli) teaches a label for packaged products and includes a bottom layer and an upper layer of clear plastic film laminated to the bottom layer so as to substantially cover a printed surface. The upper layer has a window cut therein to allow printing on the material below it.
Another example of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,273 (Kobayashi) which shows booklet type labels including outer label members with an adhesive band which can be peeled away to release the outer label member to expose the contents below. U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,427 (Instance) describes a self-adhesive label including self-adhesive edge portions on opposed sides of a multi-lamina label portion, the edge portions being releasably adhered to a portion of the label.
In one aspect, the present invention comprises a label having a liner comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface having an adhesive thereon so that the label can be applied to a surface such as a bottle or the like, and a booklet comprising a plurality of pages, the booklet being located on the upper surface of the liner so that it can be easily removed and opened.
Preferably, the booklet, when removed, has no adhesive or sticky surfaces, projections or other materials which make it more difficult to handle.
In many instances when leaflets or other forms of foldable pages containing information are placed on a label, this is usually accomplished by having an adhesive material hold the booklet on the label, so that when the booklet is removed, there are adhesive edges or projections which interfere with the easy opening of the booklet. It is often convenient, especially in medical environments, to have a booklet on a label which can be easily removed, opened and read without the book having any adhesive surfaces which can interfere with the handling thereof. The invention teaches a label with booklet having these features.
Preferably, the booklet is located such that it covers the entire, or almost the entire, upper surface of the liner.
In another aspect, the label may further comprise a hanging ring on the upper surface of the liner, the hanging ring being constructed such that it can unfold to permit the bottle upon which the label is adhered to be suspended in an inverted position from a bracket, peg or the like.
The label may further comprise removable strips, for example, upon which the lot number, expiry date or other information can be written, the removable strip being easily separable from the remainder of the label. The label may additionally incorporate other types of peel-off or secondary labels.
In all instances where the label generally comprises the hanger, peel-off or other types of labels, the booklet is mounted so as to cover all these components, which become accessible once the booklet has been removed.
In one form, the booklet preferably comprises an elongate strip of paper which has been folded and refolded upon itself to form the booklet, and an adhesive cover which keeps the booklet on the remainder of the label. The cover preferably comprises an upper surface and a lower surface upon which an adhesive layer is applied. This adhesive layer adheres to the uppermost page of the booklet, and extends beyond the peripheral edges of the booklet so as to provide at least two edges which adhere to the base label. In one embodiment, the cover has perforations or lines of weakness which will easily tear when force is applied so that the booklet can be removed. The lines of weakness are preferably coextensive with the peripheral edge of the booklet so that that portion of the cover actually covering the booklet will be removed with the booklet when it is parted from the label, with the remainder of the cover portion remaining on the label. In this way, the booklet can be removed and easily read without having to deal with overhanging adhesive projections or portions, which may make it difficult to open an read the contents of the booklet.
The label including the booklet of the invention may be applied on bottles containing pharmaceutical products, and contain detailed information of the type typically found in boxes in which the bottle is wrapped. Therefore, an advantage of the invention is that the bottle (or other container) in which the pharmaceuticals are directly located need not be further packaged within a box, since the pharmaceutical information can be applied in a suitable manner directly to the bottle and be easily removed, where necessary.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for applying such labels, including booklets, to a bottle, and for making the label including the booklet.
In one preferred form, the method comprises a supply reel of base labels which is unwound and passed over a plate and thereafter taken up by a take-up reel. Over the plate, a further supply of booklets is provided, such that the application of the booklets to the base label is synchronized with the movement of the base labels over the plate. In a preferred form, both the booklet and labels are pre-arched so that when the label is applied to a bottle, it will not cause creasing or stretching. The amount of pre-arching in assembling the label with booklet of the invention will depend upon the size of the bottle to which the label is to be applied, with a smaller diameter of bottle requiring more extensive pre-arching.